Country cannot sacrifice it’s interest for sake of Ethiopia: South Sudan official

President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit (L) is welcomed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on 10th January 2017 [Egyptian Presidency – Handout/Anadolu]

15, January, 2017 (Nyamilepedia) — In new damning revelation that could jeopardise South Sudan- Ethiopian relations a senior South Sudanese official in the office of the president has told Journalists his country cannot sacrifice it’s interests for others (Ethiopia), saying the recent visit by president Salva Kir to Egypt was an important visit because South Sudan values it’s historic and strategic relations with the Arab Republic of Egypt.

The senior administrator identifying himself only as Mr Abraham Chol, said praised president Kiri’s visit to Cairo, he said his country was looking to see more support from Egypt.

“The president’s visit was successful and we agreed to work together on all issues….we agreed to put the interests first..” Abraham told reporters

Many observers have rise the red flag after South Sudan’s president recent visit to Egypt where they are believed to have agreed to protect Egypt’s full rights over usage of the Nile river waters without any interruption from upstream countries like Ethiopia or Sudan.

According to news reports from Arab newspapers South Sudan president is said to have agreed with his Egyptian counterpart to cooperate together on the Nile issues and try and sabotage any Ethiopian government move to build damns on the Blue Nile.

In a new deal know as the “Dirty deal” between Egypt and South Sudan which is believed to include Uganda government of Museveni. The two leaders are said to have agreed to use different means to sabotage Ethiopia’s projects to build damns on the river Nile.

South Sudan government has always looked at Ethiopia with a doubting eye since Ethiopia hosted South Sudan’s armed opposition leader and leader of SPLM/A-IO Dr Rick Machar.

Dr Riek Machar lived in Ethiopia until a peace agreement mediated by IGAD was signed in August 2015 where he returned to South Sudan as First Vice President, however Dr Riek fled the country and is now in South Africa after forces loyal to president Kiir attacks the lightly armed site of Dr Riek’s SPLM/A-IO in Juba.

According to Abraham cool, an administrator in president Sslva Kiir’s office, the government in Juba was just looking out for its creator interests and could not let another country overshadow it’s interest’s.

“We agreed that South Sudan comes first, that’s why we had to talk to the Egyptians as they have more to offer to South Sudan than other neighbouring countries” Abraham Chol told Journalists in a private interview.

When asked if president Salva Kiri’s visit to Egypt and agreement to work together on the Nile would not affect relations with neighbouring Ethiopia, the senior official in the presidency said his country could not sacrifice it’s interests of of another country.

“look my friend…South Sudan cannot continue to sacrifice it’s interests because of other countries…be it Ethiopia or others…no way”… said the official who looked serious.

According to Al Arab middle east newspaper, the two leaders of Egypt and South Sudan met to strike a “Dirty deal” that would see Ethiopia’s ambitions to build a mega dam sabotaged by Egypt with cooperation of President Salva Kir government and backing of President Museveni of Uganda.

“There is a dirty deal going between Kir and Sisi,” Sources close the opposition claimed, saying they had received reports from close allies inside the government about the purpose of the visit.

“The issue of the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is one of the main deals being finalised in Cairo”.

Ethiopia which is currently building a mega electric dam on the river Nile has been accused by Egypt of trying to reduce and block water flow from the Nile into Egypt affecting Egyptian agricultural survival.

Egypt has said it would do anything in it’s powers to limit or block the building of any major dams on the river Nile so as not to affect it’s waters security.

The actions that the two leaders Sisi and Kiir agreed would include sabotage and covert activities that would block or delay Ethiopia’s dream of having a mega dam that would supply the country with non stop electricity for development. Actions against Ethiopian government as agreed in the “dirty deal” would include covert support and training to Ethiopian armed and non-armed opposition groups, lobbying international support for Egypt and isolating Ethiopia diplomatically, in return president Kir would receive unlimited and unrestricted support from Egypt interns of arms supplies and financial support.

Egypt has been desperate for allies in the Nile Valley countries to support it’s campaign to stop Ethiopia building the dam as a result president Sisi has rallied Uganda’s president Museveni and now South Sudan’s president Salva Kir in an attempt to isolate Ethiopia.

According to the senior official in the presidency Mr Abraham cool, South Sudan will not sacrifice it’s relations with Egypt because of Ethiopia.

Source      –   Nyamilepedia